Summer gathering

Ah my fine Amigos!
How was your summer?..... hopefully you have embraced the Funbus ethos and overindulged in fine libations, rich provender and joyful companionship.
Rest assured - we have!

The illustrious houses of Bishop and Smithington decamped for the summer once again to the delightful little island of Mallorca and the welcoming Puerto Pollensa.

The island is a cornucopia of influences and cultures and this inspired me to do a little research. With apologies to those fine historians and researchers who are far more knowledgeable than I,here is my potted history of the island.....

It all began back in the 8^th century BC when those devilishly clever Phoenician seafarers landed and paced the island under Carthaginian rule

The Romans kicked their asses and took over after the 2^nd Punic war around 123 BC. Interestingly the local soldiers were valued for their skill with slings and they ruled with impunity until 427, when Mr Gunderic esq. and his unruly chums, the Vandals took over only for those devious Romans to grab it back in 465

Then in 534 it was the turn of the Byzantine Empire to assume control which it did magnificently until irksome Muslim raiders made such a nuisance of themselves that Charlemagne himself was petitioned to help in 707.

Unrest continued until around 902 when no less than that illustrious Arab, Issam al-Khawlani conquered the island and put it under Moorish control under the auspices of the Emirate of Cordoba. There then ensued peace, order and prosperity. But like all good things, it had to come to an end and a decadent period started when the Taifa of Denia took over in 1015 and then the island lapsed into independence from 1087 to 1114.

It was then the turn of the Catalans to move in, led by the grandly titled Ramon Berenguer the third; Count of Barcelona. Having captured the island, Ramon had a few issues at home so had to bid adios to Mallorca and the Moors stepped back in until 1229 when it swung back to the Catalans again when King James 1^st of Aragon invaded on September 8-9^th (....he probably waited until the school holidays were over so his soldiers were back from holiday).

As with all those Royal dysfunctional dynasties, the family members fought, conspired and slaughtered each other over the ensuing centuries. Forming and breaking various alliances with other similarly dysfunctional families. During this time, such luminaries as the wonderfully named Alfonso III and Peter III of Aragon; Sancho I of Majorca and another Peter (the fourth – obviously) ruled over the land.

In the 18^th Century, the war of the Spanish Succession and the Nueva Planta decrees made the island part of the Baleares province and sanity prevailed.

All was boring until 1936 when it was time for the Spanish Civil War; the island was a Nationalist stronghold keen on Franco. August 16^th was a memorable day as the Republicans launched an amphibious landing aimed at claiming the island. Initially all went well and they managed to get off the beaches and headed in land (probably looking for restaurant Siller!) only to be directed back to the beach by a unit of Italian planes with fascist sympathies. Thereafter it stayed a true Nationalist island and no one invaded until the 1950’s when all hell broke loose as the Brits discovered package holidays.

The rest, as they say, is history!!